Match-vending machine



H. FRIE we vsunmsmcumz. APPLICATION FILED JULY I71I9IB.

Patented Nov; 2, 1920. 4

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- H. FRIED.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 sniiTs-sugg 2.

MATCH- vsuoma MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1?. ISIS.

fill/76,5565 W W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY FRIED, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

MATCH-VENDING MACHINE.

To a whom it may concern Be it know that T, Hana; Fmnn, a citizen of the United States. residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Matclrvending l Iachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to match vending machines such as are now to be commonly found in cigar stores and drug stores, and of the type in which a coin is inserted in the machine and an o 'ierating lever thereafter operated for effecting deliveryto the purchaser of a box of matches.

The principal objects of my invention are to simplify the mechanism and make all of the parts so strong and of such size, that there is the minimum possibility of jamming or otherwise getting out of order combined with the maximum of efficiency; to provide positive rather than springpressed means for ejecting the box or corn tainer from the machine; to provide a multi-compartment vending machine with means whereby containers will be automatically selected and ejected from successive compartments upon successive operations of the machine; to provide means whereby coins of various sizes will operate the trip with equal facility; and to attain other objects which will appear from the following description and be specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

I accomplish all of these objects by means of mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings consisting of two sheets, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved vending machine as seen by the customer. a

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the main operating shaft and the paddles thereon. the parts being shown out of their proper proportion for the purpose of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged detail sectional view of the operating shaft, con tainer table, and a pair of the paddles, one of the latter being shown in position just preparatory to ejecting a container.

Fig. 4 is a top'plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical front-to rear view of the greater portion of the op erating mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the main operat- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

1918. Serial No. 245,317.

ing shaft and the mechanism whereby the operating lever operates said shaft.

Fig. 7 is a view taken in line 7-7, Fig. 5, looking down. 1

Like figures of reference refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

It has been found by cigar stores and others using match vending machines, that they frequently get out of order by reason of the ejecting mechanism being a springdriven trigger, the blow of which is not always sufficient to eject the container if it has a little roughness, as is often the case, or if it be stuck to the next adjacent container. Also the ejectors are often so small as to permit the container to twist and jam, and the machine is rendered useless until opened and readjusted. Also many machines have the coin trip arranged so that it will work only with one-cent pieces, and when a nickel or dime is placed in the machine, the vend ing mechanism will not operate. All delicats and non-positive mechanism has been eliminated in the present machine, and the mechanism has been made as simple and hardy as possible.

Referring now to the drawings, 1, represents the main framework of the machine which may be of any suitable material and structure for supporting the containers to be sold and the mechanism for vending them.

2 represents a coin slot formed in the main frame work 1 and leading into the cavity of a "stationary coin-chute 3 which chute ay be secured to the main frame in any desired manner, as by soldering, welding or riveting.

4 represents an operating handle or finger-piece secured at the upper end of a vertically slidable operating bar or primemover 5, as shown in Fig. 5. The primemover 5 is guided in its vertical movement by guide-plates 6 and 7 rigid with the main frame 1 of the machine.

Pivotally mounted on said prime-mover 5 as at 8 is an oscillatory coinchute 9 which normally stands in close proximity to the afore-mentioned stationary coin-chute 3, so as to receive a coin when the same is discharged from the stationary coin-chute. The chute 9 is formed of a U -sha-ped piece of metal open on the top adjacent to the chute 3 and on the side juxtaposed to the frame of the machine and having a curvilinear closure 10 at its lower end. The chute 9 is comparatively broad at its upper end and gradually curves in as at 11 to a size some what narrower than the smallest diameter of coin which the machine is to be operable by. 12 represents a stop or latch formed integrally with one leg of the chute 9 or rigidly secured thereto and which normally stands in engagement with a stationary counter-stop 13 which may be formed on or secured to the main frame of the machine.

i l represents an element which serves the combined pu'poses of guide plate, limiting stop and spring-holder; and is pivotally connected to the coin-chute 9 at 15. The pivots 8 and 15 are concentric, that is, they are arranged in axial alinement, so that they serve the coin-chute 9 much the same as pair of trunnions. The element 14- is slid bly mounted on a vertically disposed guide rod 16, the latter bein ecuredin bosses formed on or secured to the main frame. Aspring 17 is secured at one end to the element 14 and at the other end to an ear 1 on the oscillatory coin-chute 9, and tends constantly to pull the coin-chute 9 to bring the stop 12 toward the stop 13.

From the above, it will be seen that when a coin is inserted in the slot'2, it will pass down'through chute 3, dropping into chute 9. As the coin passes downwardly in chute 9 it encounters the curved face 11, and by wedging between said face and the frame of the machine, swingsthe chute 9 on its pivots Sand 15 until stop 12 is out of engagement with counter stop 13,-the spring l l being so tensioned as to permit this. But as the coin reaches the lower end of the chute it is arrested by the curvilinear closure 10, the slope of which is sufficiently gradual to not permit the coin to escape by further distension of the spring 17. The operating bar or prime-mover 5 is now free to move down in its guides 6 and 7 and when repressed by the operator pressing down on the fingen piece 4, said prime-mover will. carry down the chute 9 until the coin is below the shoulder 18 of the main frame, at which time the gradual curve of the closure 11 causes the coin to roll out of th front of the chuteand drop into the bottom of. the machine.

' The prime-mover 5 is provided with any form of full stroke mechanism, for causing the same to be depressed to the full extent before it may return to normal thu. insuring the complete operation of the vending mechanism about to be described and. also to make a complete stroke toward normal (once it starts such a stroke) before it may be again depressed, thus insuring against cheating the machine. Thefull stroke mechanism shown in Fig. 5, is a wellknown structure comprising a pawl 19 maintained in engagement with teeth 20 formed on the eye of the prime-mover. Deep notches 21 at each end of the series of teeth permit the reversal of the pawl, but the depressions between the various teeth are too shallow to permit of such reversal. A spring 22 tends constantly to keep the pawl in a horizontal position.

coin-chute and element 14, is accomplished The return of the prime-mover, movable .a

of the prime-mover and meshing; with a gear wheel 30. The gear wheel 3-0 is adapted to rotate freely on a shaft 31. extending irom side to side of the machine, and said gear wheel is formed with an annular rim or flange 32secureo to one of its faces. A collar 33, Fig. 7, secures the wheel 30 against axial movement along said. shaft in one nirec'tio'n, while a ratchet wheel 3 1, Fig. 6, fast on the shaft 31 andlocated within the annular flange 32 secures said wheel against axial movement in the opposite direction. A plurality of gravity-pawls 35 are pivotally secured to said-wheel within said annular flange and are adapted to engage and turn said ratchet wheel and shaft when said gear wheel 30 is rotated by the depression of the operating handle r, and to permitthe return of the prime-mover to normal without effecting rotation of said shaft 31. he particular function of the flange 32 is to prevent the pawls. 35 from turning completely around so that they would not be able to turn the ratchet.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4:, it will be seen that there are a plurality of pairs of vending arms 36 secured to the shaft 31, the. arms of each pair being diametrically disposed with relation to each other, and the pairs of arms being,- arranged radially out of line with each other. One pair of arms provided for each column of match. boxes or other containers which the machine is adapted to house, and each arm is set radially from the next adjacent arm a fractional portion of a circumference equal to the circumference divided by the number of arms. In the present instance, there being five pairs of arms 36, the arms are disposed at intervals of 36 from each other. 1 r

37 represents the dispenslng table or ledge on which the columns or stacks of containers L rest and from which they are shoved by the arms 36. Each of the arms is madevery ters of the side of the box; This prevents the posslbility of jamming and asthe arm follows practically until the box is fully ejected, there is little or no danger of the goods not being ejected. It boxes are struck together, enough force can be exerted on handle a to either break them. apart or smash the container, and in no possible way can any harm accrue to the mechanism oi the machine.

The arms 36 work in slots 38 in the dis pensing table 37, Figs. 3 and at.

While the form of 'lneclianism herein shown and described, is admirably adapted to tulli the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to conline the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible oi? embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow. I do not limit myself to anything less than the Whole of my invention shown and described and as limited by the prior art.

The present application is limited in the scope of its claims to the coin controlled features ol the device, the vending mechanism being covered in a divisional application.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary coin-chute, a pivotally mounted coinchute normally locked against bodily movement and adapted to receive a coin discharged "from said stationary coin-chute and to be pivotally moved thereby immediately upon inserting said coin, and means for thereafter moving said pivotally mounted coin-chute bodily relatively to said stationary coin-chute.

2. In a machine or" the class described, the combination of a stationary coin-chute, a givotally mounted coinchute normally locked against bodily movement and adapted to receive a coin discharged from said stationary coin-chute and to be pivotally moved thereby immediately upon inserting said coin, a spring for holding said pivotally mounted chute in normal position against pivotal movement, manipulative means for moving said pivotally mounted chute bodily relatively to said stationary chute, and means tor automatically effecting a return to normal position of said chute after operation of said manipulative means.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary coin-chute, a pivotally mounted coinchute normally locked against bodily movement and adapted to receive a coin discharged from said stationary coin-chute and to be pivotally moved thereby immediately upon inserting said coin, a spring for holding said pivotally mounted chute in normal position against pivotal movement, manipulative means for moving said pivotally mounted chute bodily relatively to said stationary chute after said pivotally mounted chute has been moved pivotally, means for automatically eilecting a return to normal position of said chute after operation of said manipulative men as, a 'tfultstrohe mechanism for torcing full-stroke operation of said manipulative means and of said automatic means.

i. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary coin-chute, a pivotally mounted coinchute normally locked against bodily movement and adapted to receive a coin discharged from said stationary coin-chute and to be pivotally moved thereby iini'nediately upon inserting said coin, the last said chute comprising'a stop element, a counter-stop, a spring tor'holding said pivotally mounted chute in normal position against pivotal movement and with said stop in engagement with said counterstop, and manipulative means for moving; said pivotally mounted chute bodily relatively to said stationary chute after said pivotally mounted chute has been moved pivotally to disengage said stop from said counter-stop.

In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary coin-chute, a iivctally mounted coin-chute normally locked against bodily movement and adapt- 7 ed to receive a coin discharged from said stationary co1n-chute and to be ulvotally moved thereby immediately upon inserting said coin, the last said chute comprising astop element, a counter-stop, a spring for holding said pivotally mounted chute in n0rmal position against pivotal movement and with said stop in engagement with said counter-stop, manipulative means for mov 'ing said pivotally mounted chute bodily relatively to said stationary chute after said pivotally mounted chute has been moved pivotally to disengage said stop from said counter-stop, and automatic means for effecting a return to normal position of said chute after operation of said manipulative means.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary coin-chute, a pivotally mounted coin wbute normally locked against bodily movement and adapted to receive a coin discharged from. said stationary coin-chute and to be pivotally moved thereby immediately upon inserting aid coin, the last said chute comprising a stop element, counter-stop, a spring); for holding; said pivotally mounted chute in normal position against pivotal movement and with said step in engagement With said countenstop, manipulative means for mov ing said pivotally mounted chute bodily relatively to said stationary chute after said pivotally mounted chute has been moved pivotally to disengage said step from said counter-stop, automatic means for eiiecting a return to normal position of said chute after operation of said manipulative means, and a full-stroke mechanism for forcing full-stroke operations of said manipulative means and of said automatic means.

7. In a machine 01" the class described, the combination of a stationary coin-chute, a pi votally mounted coin-chute normally locked against bodily movement and adapt ed to receive a coin discharged from said stationary coin-chute and to be pivotally moved thereby immediateiy upon inserting said coin, the last said chute comprising a stop element, a counter-stop, a spring for holding said pivotally mounted chute in normal position against pivotal movement and With said'stop in'engagenient with said counter-stop, manipulative means for moving said pivotally mountet chute bodily relatively to said stationary chute after said pivotally mounted chute has been moved pivotally to disengage said stop from said counter-stop, and stops for limiting the bodily movement of said movable chute in either direction. w

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary coin-chute, a pivotally. mounted coin-chute normally locked against bodily movement and adapted to receive a coin discharged from said stationary coin-chute and to be pivotally moved thereby immediately upon inserting said coin, the last said chute comprising a stop element, a counter-stop, a spring for holding said pivotally mounted chute in normal position against pivotal movement and With said stop in engagement with said counter-stop, manipulative means for moving said pivotally mounted chute bodily relatively to said stationary chute after said pivotally mounted chute has been moved pivotally to disengage said stop from said counter-stop, automatic means for effecting a return to normal position of said chute after operation of said manipulative means, and stops for limiting movements of said chute under the influence of said manipulative means and under influence of said automatic means.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses, this 28th day of June, 1918. v

' HARRY FRIED.

Witnesses SAMUEL MARoovrrz, LOUISE G. SPARKS. 

